Detasseling safety headwear

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a new and improved form of protective headwear that incorporates a shield composed of a strong, durable mesh material that protects the wearer from cuts, scratches, scrapes, and other injuries to the face, eyes, and/or neck. An embodiment of the present invention comprises an article of headwear having a shield securely or releasably attached to a portion of the headwear with the shield shaped and sized such that it covers a substantial portion of the wearer&#39;s face and/or neck.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional Application No.61,567,974 having a filing date of Dec. 7, 2011, which is incorporatedherein in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[Not Applicable]

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

[Not Applicable]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to headwear that is useful in protecting a wearerfrom cuts, scratches, scrapes, and/or other injuries to the face, eyes,and/or neck.

There are some jobs and activities that expose a person's face and neckto conditions where they are susceptible to cuts, scratches, scrapes,and/or other injuries. A prime example of such a job or activity isdetasseling.

Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen-producing flowers (i.e.,tassels) from the tops of corn plants in order to facilitatecross-breeding, or hybridization. Detasseling is often done by workersthat must walk through the fields and remove the tassels by hand. Whilewalking through the fields workers are often subjected to sharp leavesand other portions of corn plants and other plants in the fields. Ifthese leaves are allowed to make contact with a worker's skin they arelikely to cause cuts, scratches, scrapes, and/or other injuries. Forthis reason, it is recommended (and sometimes mandatory) for workers towear protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeve shirts, gloves,safety glasses, and hats. However, even with all of this protection,workers' faces, necks, and eyes are often left exposed to injury.

Previous attempts have been made to reduce the risk of sustaining thesetypes of injuries. For example, nets have been used and evenincorporated into various types of headwear in order to provideprotection to the face, neck, and eyes. However, due to the flimsynature of the prior art shielding, they are often ineffective inpreventing sharp leaves from making contact with the wearer's skin andcausing injury. Additionally, nets are very susceptible to wear and tearthat can create gaps in protection, and therefore, prior art netsrequire frequent replacement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a new and improved form ofprotective headwear that incorporates a shield composed of a strong,durable mesh material that protects the wearer from cuts, scratches,scrapes, and other injuries to the face, eyes, and/or neck.

An embodiment of the present invention comprises an article of headwearhaving a shield securely or releasably attached to a portion of theheadwear with the shield shaped and sized such that it covers asubstantial portion of the wearer's face and/or neck.

Many types of headwear may be used including, but not limited to,baseball caps, boonies, bowlers, bucket hats, hard hats, panama hats,planter's hats, sombreros, Stetsons, and trucker hats. Preferably, thearticle of headwear used will have either a bill or a brim to facilitateattachment of the face shield to the headwear. However, a bill or brimis not necessary.

The shield is composed of a durable and flexible mesh material. Thematerial should be sufficiently rigid to prevent sharp objects frompenetrating the shield and making contact with the wearer's skin. Thematerial should also be capable of being molded and shaped to fitvarious forms of headwear. For example, an acceptable material isPVC-coated fiberglass.

The shield comprises a mesh lattice. The geometry of the mesh latticewill determine the amount of protection and visibility provided by theshield. For example, the shield may comprise a rectangular mesh latticemeasuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions per inch byapproximately sixteen (16) horizontal divisions per inch. Of course,more or fewer divisions could be used, to achieve the desired visibilityand protection levels. The mesh lattice may have a border that runsaround at least a portion of the circumference of the mesh lattice.

The shield is securely or releasably attached to the headwear. Theshield may be attached to any portion of the headwear that positions theshield such that it covers the face and/or neck of the wearer. Forexample, the shield may be attached to a portion of the brim (or bill,depending on the type of headwear used) of the headwear. As anotherexample, the shield may be attached to a portion of the brim (or bill)and/or a portion of the crown of the headwear. The shield may beattached around the entire circumference of the headwear or only aportion of the circumference.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a face shield thatis molded and/or shaped so that the face shield may be attached to astandard article of headwear such that the face shield covers asubstantial portion of the wearer's face and/or neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cap embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top view plan of the cap embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the cap embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the cap embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a boonie embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the boonie embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view of the boonie embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a visor embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the visor embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a right side elevation view of the visor embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a face shield embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of this disclosure will now be described more fully,and one or more embodiments of the invention are shown. This inventionmay, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, theseembodiments are examples of the invention, which has the full scopeindicated in the language of the claims.

In FIGS. 1-4, one embodiment of the present invention is shown asprotective headwear apparatus 20. Headwear apparatus 20 is comprised ofa standard baseball-style cap 22 with a shield 24 attached thereto.

The cap 22 is comprised of a crown 26 and a bill 28. The bill 28 has atop surface 30, a bottom surface 32, and an edge 34. The crown 26 has anouter surface 36, an inner surface 37, and a base 38.

The shield 24 is comprised of a mesh lattice 40 and an optional border42. The mesh lattice 40 may be composed of various geometries including,but not limited to, rhombic, square, hexagonal, rectangular, or oblique.The geometry of the mesh lattice 40 will determine the amount ofprotection and visibility that the shield 24 provides. For example, themesh lattice 40 may take the form of a rectangular mesh latticemeasuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions per inch bysixteen (16) horizontal divisions per inch.

The shield 24 is composed of a hard, mesh material that is capable ofbeing molded and/or shaped. For example, the shield 24 may be composedof PVC-coated fiberglass.

The shield 24 is attached to at least a portion of the cap 22 such thatthe shield 24 is positioned to protect the wearer's face and neck. Asseen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the shield 24 may be attached to a portion ofthe bill 28 and a portion of the base 38 of the crown 26. However,multiple points of attachment are contemplated. For example, the shield24 may be attached to one or more of the following including, but notlimited to, a portion of the top surface 30 of the bill 28, a portion ofthe edge 34 of the bill 28, a portion of the bottom surface 32 of thebill 28, a portion of the outer surface 36 of the crown 26, and/or aportion of the base 38 of the crown 26 (on either the inside surface 37and/or outside surface 38).

As seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the shield 24 may extend around only aportion of the circumference of the cap 22 including the bill 28 and atleast a portion of the crown 26. However, depending on the amount ofprotection desired, the shield 24 may alternatively extend around theentire circumference of the cap 22.

The shield 24 may be either securely or releasably attached to the cap22. Types of secure attachment include, but are not limited to, gluing,sewing, and/or stapling. Types of releasable attachment include, but arenot limited to, buttoning, clipping, tying, and/or hook-and-loopfastening, e.g., Velcro.

The dimensions and geometry of the shield 24 may vary and will depend inpart on the type of headwear used (e.g., cap 22) and the points ofattachment to the headwear. As seen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the shield 24may be molded and/or shaped around the wearer's face and neck. Theshield 24 may also take many other forms including, but not limited to,forms that include portions that are flat/planar, cylindrical, conical,and/or generally trace the contour of the wearer's face and/or neck.

As seen in FIG. 4, the height 44 of the shield 24 is the verticaldistance from the point of attachment to the cap 22 to the bottom edge46 of the shield 24. The height 44 may vary depending on the point ofattachment it is measured from. However, if the height 44 exceeds acertain point, the headwear apparatus 20 will reduce the range of motionof the wearer's neck and head because the bottom edge 46 will come incontact with the wearer's chest, shoulders, neck, and/or back. Dependingon the points of attachment and the size of the wearer, the preferredheight 44 may be approximately twelve (12) inches. Preferably, on a cap22 as shown in FIG. 4, the shield 24 has a height 44 that measuresbetween about nine (9) and eleven (11) inches, and the length of theportion of the shield 24 attached to the cap 22 measures between abouttwenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches.

In FIGS. 5-7, another embodiment of the present invention is shown asprotective headwear apparatus 60. Headwear apparatus 60 is comprised ofa standard boonie 62 with a shield 24 attached thereto.

The boonie 62 is comprised of a crown 64 and a brim 66. The brim 66 hasa top surface 70, a bottom surface 72, and an edge 74. The crown 64 hasa base 68.

The shield 24 is attached to at least a portion of the boonie 62 suchthat the shield 24 is positioned to protect the wearer's face and neck.As seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the shield 24 may be attached to a portion ofthe brim 66. However, multiple points of attachment are contemplated.For example, the shield 24 may be attached to one or more of thefollowing including, but not limited to, a portion of the top surface 70of the brim 66, a portion of the bottom surface 72 of the brim 66, aportion of the edge 74 of the brim 66, and/or a portion of the base 68along the inner surface of the crown 64. Preferably, on a boonie 62 asshown in FIG. 5, the shield 24 has a height that measures between aboutnine (9) and eleven (11) inches from the point of attachment to theboonie 62, and the length of the portion of the shield 24 attached tothe boonie 62 measures between about twenty-two (22) and twenty-three(23) inches.

In FIGS. 8-10, another embodiment of the present invention is shown asprotective headwear apparatus 80. Headwear apparatus 80 is comprised ofa standard visor 82 with a shield 24 attached thereto.

The visor 82 is comprised of a partial crown 84 and a bill 86. The bill86 has a top surface 88, a bottom surface 90, and an edge 92. Thepartial crown 84 has an outer surface 94 and an inner surface 96.

The shield 24 is attached to at least a portion of the visor 82 suchthat the shield 24 is positioned to protect the wearer's face and neck.As seen in FIGS. 8 and 10, the shield 24 may be attached to a portion ofthe bill 86 and a portion of the outer surface 94 of the partial crown84. However multiple points of attachment are contemplated. For example,the shield 24 may be attached to one or more of the following including,but not limited to, a portion of the top surface 88 of the bill 86, aportion of the bottom surface 90 of the bill 86, a portion of the edge92 of the bill 86, a portion of the outer surface 94 of the partialcrown 84, and/or a portion of the inner surface 96 of the partial crown84. Preferably, on a visor 82 as shown in FIG. 8, the shield 24 has aheight that measures between about nine (9) and eleven (11) inches fromthe point of attachment to the visor 82, and the length of the portionof the shield 24 attached to the visor 82 measures between abouttwenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches.

Other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced by attachingthe shield 24 to various other types of headwear. Types of headwear thatmay be used include, but are not limited to, baseball caps, boonies,bowlers, bucket hats, hard hats, panama hats, planter's hats, sombreros,Stetsons, and trucker hats. Preferably, the headwear used will haveeither a bill or a brim to facilitate attachment of the shield 24 to theheadwear. However, a bill or brim is not necessary.

In FIG. 11, another embodiment of the present invention is shown as faceshield 110. Face shield 110 is comprised of a mesh lattice 112 having anouter surface 114, an inner surface 116, and an edge 118. The faceshield 110 may also have a border 120 that runs around at least aportion of the edge 118 of the mesh lattice 112 on the inner 116 and/orouter 114 surfaces of the mesh lattice 112.

The face shield 110 is composed of a durable and flexible mesh material.The material should be sufficiently rigid to prevent sharp objects frompenetrating the face shield 110 and making contact with the wearer'sskin. The material should also be capable of being molded and shaped tofit various forms of headwear. For example, an acceptable material isPVC-coated fiberglass.

Face shield 110 is formed so that at least a portion of the mesh lattice112 along at least a portion of the edge 118 is capable of beingattached to an article of headwear. A means of attachment may beincluded in the face shield 110 or it may be incorporated at a latertime when the face shield 110 is attached to an article of headwear. Theface shield 110 may be formed to include a means of attachment that iseither secure or releasable. Types of secure attachment include, but arenot limited to, gluing, sewing, and/or stapling. Types of releasableattachment include, but are not limited to, buttoning, clipping, tying,and/or hook-and-loop fastening, e.g., Velcro.

The means of attachment are located either in the mesh lattice 112itself, or in an optional border 120 that may be included in the faceshield 110. The border 120 may run along the entire edge 118 of the meshlattice 112 or it may run along only a portion of the edge 118, e.g.,the portion of the edge 118 where the means of attachment will belocated. The border 120 may be composed of the same material as the meshlattice 112, or alternatively, may be composed of any material thatfacilitates attachment to an article of headwear including, but notlimited to, textiles, leather, polymers, nylon, and/or polyesters.

The mesh lattice 112 may be composed of various geometries including,but not limited to, rhombic, square, hexagonal, rectangular, or oblique.The geometry of the mesh lattice 112 will determine the amount ofprotection and visibility that the face shield 110 provides. Forexample, the mesh lattice 112 may take the form of a rectangular meshlattice measuring approximately eighteen (18) vertical divisions perinch by sixteen (16) horizontal divisions inch. Of course, more or fewerdivisions could be used, to achieve the desired visibility andprotection levels.

The dimensions and geometry of the face shield 110 may vary and willdepend in part on the type of headwear the face shield 110 is made to beattached to. The face shield 110 may be molded and/or shaped around thewearer's face and neck. The face shield 110 may also take many otherforms including, but not limited to, forms that include portions thatare flat/planar, cylindrical, conical, and/or generally trace thecontour of the wearer's face and/or neck.

The height 122 of the face shield 110 is the vertical distance from theportion of the edge 118 that is formed to be attached to an article ofheadwear to the portion of the edge 118 that extends directly below it.The preferred height 122 is up to approximately 12 inches, but could begreater. The width 124 of the face shield 110 is the length of theportion of the edge 118 that is formed to be attached to an article ofheadwear. Preferably, the dimensions of the face shield 110 would beapproximately nine (9) to eleven (11) inches in height and approximatelytwenty-two (22) to twenty-three (23) inches in width.

Although specific embodiments have been described using specific terms,such description is for illustrative purposes only. The words used arewords of description rather than of limitation. It is to be understoodthat changes and variations can be made by those of ordinary skill inthe art without departing from the spirit or scope of the presentinvention, which is set forth in the following claims. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of the various embodiments can beinterchanged either in whole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scopeof the appended claims should not be limited to the description of thespecific versions contained herein.

1. A protective headwear apparatus comprising: an article of headwearcomprising a portion contacting the head of a wearer and a brim portion;and a shield attached to the brim portion of the headwear; wherein theshield is comprised of a mesh lattice composed of a durable and flexiblematerial.
 2. The protective headwear of claim 1 in which the shieldmaterial is composed of PVC-coated fiberglass.
 3. The protectiveheadwear of claim 2 in which the shield measures between twenty-two (22)and twenty-three (23) inches along a length attached to the brim, andhas a maximum height measured from the brim between nine (9) and eleven(11) inches.
 4. The protective headwear of claim 1 in which the meshlattice is a square mesh lattice measuring between 16 to 20 squares perinch.
 5. The protective headwear of claim 1 in which the mesh lattice isa rectangular mesh lattice measuring between 16 to 20 vertical divisionsper inch and between 16 to 20 horizontal divisions per inch.
 6. Theprotective headwear of claim 4 in which the shield measures betweentwenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches along a length attached tothe brim, and has a height measured from the brim between nine (9) andeleven (11) inches.
 7. The protective headwear of claim 5 in which theshield measures between twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inchesalong a length attached to the brim, and has a height measured from thebrim between nine (9) and eleven (11) inches.
 8. The protective headwearof claim 6 in which the shield material is composed of PVC-coatedfiberglass.
 9. The protective headwear of claim 7 in which the shieldmaterial is composed of PVC-coated fiberglass.
 10. The protectiveheadwear of claim 3 in which the headwear apparatus comprises abaseball-style cap.
 11. The protective headwear of claim 3 in which theheadwear apparatus comprises a boonie-style hat.
 12. The protectiveheadwear of claim 3 in which the headwear apparatus comprises a visor.13. A face shield comprising: a mesh lattice composed of a durable andflexible material; wherein at least a portion of one edge of the meshlattice is adapted to be attached to a headwear article such that theface shield protects a substantial portion of the wearer's face and/orneck.
 14. The face shield of claim 13 in which the material the meshlattice is composed of PVC-coated fiberglass.
 15. The face shield ofclaim 14 in which the face shield measures between twenty-two (22) andtwenty-three (23) inches along a length attached to the article, and hasa height measured extending from the article between nine (9) and eleven(11) inches.
 16. The face shield of claim 15 in which the mesh latticeis a square mesh lattice measuring between 16 to 20 squares per inch.17. The face shield of claim 15 in which the mesh lattice is arectangular mesh lattice measuring between 16 to 20 vertical divisionsper inch and between 16 to 20 horizontal divisions per inch.
 18. Theface shield of claim 13 in which the mesh lattice is a square meshlattice measuring between 16 to 20 squares per inch.
 19. The face shieldof claim 13 in which the mesh lattice is a rectangular mesh latticemeasuring between 16 to 20 vertical divisions per inch and between 16 to20 horizontal divisions per inch.
 20. The face shield of claim 18 inwhich the face shield measures between twenty-two (22) and twenty-three(23) inches wide and has a maximum height between nine (9) and eleven(11) inches.
 21. The face shield of claim 19 in which the face shieldmeasures between twenty-two (22) and twenty-three (23) inches wide andhas a maximum height between nine (9) and eleven (11) inches.